BELETWEYNE, (IRIN) – A week after government forces took control of Beletweyne in central Somalia’s Hiiraan Region, residents and internally displaced people (IDPs) hope the prevailing calm will enable them to resume normal life.
“We are really hoping for peace and stability so as to go back to our homes,” Sagal Ahmed, 18, an IDP in [...]
The United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) is convening a workshop for former Somali senior military officials under the auspices of the Somali Ministry of Defense from 1 – 5 August in Washington DC.
The workshop, which follows a preparatory forum held in June, will bring together former high ranking officers from the [...]
(New York, July 31, 2009) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should emphasize human rights on her seven-nation trip to Africa, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Clinton.
The eight-day trip, to begin on August 5, will take Clinton to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia, and Cape [...]
WASHINGTON (Alshahid)— The Obama administration on Wednesday criticized Eritrea for destabilizing activities in Somalia, warning it could soon face sanctions unless it stops support for Somali extremists.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Wednesday that Eritrea’s backing of the extremists, some of whom have been linked to al-Qaida, is destabilizing the Horn of [...]
NEW YORK(Alshahid)—The top United Nations envoy for Somalia today called on the Security Council to take “concrete” steps to help bring stability to the strife-torn nation, stressing that the support of the international community is more important now than ever.
“I believe that today we are at a turning point,” Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative [...]
MOGADISHU (alshahid) — The Somali Government on Wednesday warned of a possible spread of the A/H1N1 pandemic into the war-wrecked Horn of Africa nation, calling on the international community and the World Health Organization (WHO) for assistance.
“We know of no case of the A/H1N1 flu in the country but we worry about the possibility of [...]
Nairobi (Alshahid)—Professor Mohamed Omar Dalha, the deputy speaker of the Somali parliament has given an interview about the dismissal of five lawmakers from the parliament on Monday.
The deputy speaker said the legislators who missed their posts were his colleagues who worked with him and were respected and active among the parliament.
“The leadership of the parliament [...]
UNITED NATIONS — The top U.N. envoy for Somalia said Wednesday that Somalia is at “a turning point” and needs international support, especially military equipment, training for its security forces and money to pay them.
Ahmedou Ould Abdallah told the U.N. Security Council the Somali government is resisting attempts by Islamist insurgents to overthrow it and [...]
At least seven civilians have been killed and twelve others have been injured in fierce fighting between government soldiers and Islamist forces in the capital Mogadishu, witnesses said on Monday.
The fighting started after the Islamist insurgents launched heavy attack to bases of African Union troops in KM4 are in Mogadishu.
Witnesses said seven civilians died after [...]
The British commander of the European Union’s anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia has warned that there could be a significant increase in pirate attacks on merchant ships following the end of the monsoon season.
Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, the senior British officer commanding the EU anti-piracy mission, said the current monsoon season — with [...]
